November was the dullest on record

Provisional statistics released by the Met Office show that November 2015 was the dullest November on record.

Only 36.6 hours of sunshine were recorded - 64 per cent of the long-term average between 1981-2010. Records go back as far as 1929.

Storms have hit the UK in recent weeks

The gloomiest weather was in Wales, which recorded 32.5 hours of sunshine. England recorded 38 hours, Scotland 35.1 hours and Northern Ireland 38.4 hours during the period.

The figures also show that it has also been a mild month, with a UK mean temperature of 8.2 °C, 2.0 °C above the November average. However, both November 1994 (8.8 °C) and 2011 (8.7 °C) were warmer.

For the individual nations, it was the third warmest on record in England, second warmest in Wales, seventh warmest in Scotland and fourth warmest in Northern Ireland.

Of particular note was a remarkable overnight temperature of 16.1 °C at Murlough, County Down in Northern Ireland on November 21.

Apart from a short but marked cold spell on November 21-23, there has been an absence of frosts in almost all areas, largely because of a humid, cloudy south-westerly airflow.

This has led to the low levels of sunshine, especially in the south and west of the UK.

Rainfall has been above average across most areas, but most notably across upland areas of north-west Wales, north-west England and southern Scotland where totals are almost twice the amount expected for November.

There have also been a number of very windy episodes, including the impact of storms Abigail, Barney and Clodagh.

It was provisionally the second wettest November in Scotland (behind 2009, 262 mm) and the fourth wettest in Northern Ireland.